Coconut-husking machine



'Nov. 27, 1923:;

D. TENNEY ET AL coconu'r HUSKING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 m wgy/Z Ndv. '27 1923.

D. TENNEY ET AL COCONUT HUSKING MACHINE 5 Sheds-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 192].

Nov: 27. 1923. 1,415,459

' D. TENNEY ET AL COCONUT HUSKING MACHINE Filed March 8. 1921 5 SheetsSheet 5 Nov. 27, 1923. 1,475,459 D. TENNEY ET AL COCONUT HUSKING MACHINE Filed March a. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 27, 1923. 1,475,459

D. TENNEY ET AL COCONUT HUSKING MACHINE Filed March 8. 1921 5 Sheets-Sh at 5 2 mm i 2; 26

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4a J7 I x 56 f Q; i a 5 v 6 56/ Z5 Z6 7 50 5 E, F1 15; Z6

- g1 6 J6 6 J6 Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT TENNEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WILLIAM D. VV'ALSH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE FRANKLIN BAKER. COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF' PENNSYLVANIA.

COCONUT-HUSKING MACHINE.

Application filed March 8,1921. Serial No. 450,689.-

To all whom it may concern.

Be itknown that we, DWIGHT TENNEY and WILLIAM D. WALsH, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia,

county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, and Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coconut-Husking ldachines of which the following is a specification. V

The obiects of this invention are to pro,- vide in as simple form as possible, practical and efficient mechanism for removing the husks of coconuts and the like.

'Heretofore'this work has been performed by skilledlabor which is both expensive and uncertain. In the present invention that part of the workwhich requires special skill and care is performed automatically and 2 the only attention necessary is to see that the nuts are properly fed to the machine.

In, the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a simple embodiment of the invention and this with the understanding that changes and modificationsmay be made in the structure without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Figure 1 in said drawings is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is a view looking at the left hand end of the machine shown in Figure 1, with the frame indicated in section.

Figure 3 is a detached perspective view of the feed slide.

Figures 4 and 5 are views illustrating operation of the feed slide and gripping mechanism. v

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the knife operating mechanism.

Figures 7 to 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating operation of the husk splitting knives.

Figures 12to 20 are further detail and partly diagrammatic views illustrating successive steps in the complete operation of the machine. r

'The machine comprises in the main, a pair ofhusk splitting knives 25,26 arranged inback-to-back relation as shown in Figure 1, which are brought into engagement with the husk, in this condition, and then spread or separated to break open the husk. In the illustration these knives are each carried by a pair of supporting arms'27 pivoted at 28, at opposite Sides of heads 29 carried by vertical guiderods 30 sliding in elongated bearings 31. These rods areweighted at their lower ends as indicated at .32, which weights preferably are adjustable to adapt the machine to different conditions. 7

The knives are operated from crank arms :33 on the reversely rotating shafts ZAspaced at opposite sides of the center line of the knives and carrying crank pins 35 connected bylinks 36 with pivot pins 37 onthe upper ends of the knife carrying arms. As viewed in Figure 1, the left hand shaft 34: rotates in .a counter-iclockwise direction and the right hand shaft rotates. clockwise, said shafts being driven in this particular disclosure by' worm gears 38 thereon in mesh with worms 39 on themain drive shafteO. v f In the'present disclosure the nuts are fed into position to be acted on bythe knives by a carriage 41 sliding on the supporting fram'ej42, said carriage or feed slide carrying one ora series of husk penetrating spikes 43 and being reciprocated in proper time by an oscillating lever a l. This lever is shown as pivoted at its lower end at 4.5, as connected at its upper end with the slide :by' having .a slotted portion 46fengaging over a transverse pin or rod-47 on the slide and as carrying a roll 48 engaging in a cam groove incamfli? on the right hand shaft 34 (Figure 1),.

The nuts are impaled on the supporting spikes 48 when .the feed slide is in its outermost or retracted position (Figure 1 by means consisting in the illustration of an impaling' spike 50 carried by a cross head '51 at the upper end of the vertically reciprocating rods 52 whichare provided at their lower ends withrolls 53 riding on the cams 54, said rods being, caused to follow the cam'surfaces by thesprings 55.

g Usually the nuts are fed into the machine by hand, by bringingthe relatively soft stem end of the husk into engagement with the impaling pin, whil theparts are in the positionshown inFigure 1. The cams 54 are so formed as to cause a sudden drop of the cross headcarrying the impaling pin so as to drivethenut downward and impale the lower hard end of the husk on thesupporting prongsor spikes, 43. These operations are illustrated in Figures ,12 and 13 tna'ri sresm and 15 show how after the hard :end of the husk is forced down over th supporting pins on the feed carriage, the impaling pin is lifted clear of the husk, the

.pin 50leaving "the husk without disturbing the position of the nut because of the soft character ofthehusk at'thisupper stemend, and how the feed carriage is then advanced to carry the husk beneath the uplifted knives.

In this latter position, beneath the knives the nut is gripped ina pair of pincers consisting of jaws 56 ;pjiv otedat 57 substantially knives have come into engagement with the stem end of the husk, .and before they start o S parate.-

The operation of the knives willpossibly be best understood from the diagrammatic Figures 7 to 11. 'In the first of these, the crank pins 35 are about to pass their upper centers and are traveling away from each other so as to lower theknives and at this time the knives are held in back-toback engagement by reason of the downward pull offered by the weights 32. This figure corresponds approximately to Figure 16 as regards the position of the knives, which at this time are about to penetrate the husk. Figures 8 and 16 show how in the continued outward rotation of the crank pins the knives are lowered still further and how because of the pull of the weightsthey are held together in baok-to-back relation-as they penetrate the husk. The penetrating movement of thev knives is limited either by engagement of the knives with-the. shell of the nut,v as indicated in Figure 17, orby contact of the stop shoulders on guide rods 30 with suitable stop shoulders 64 at the upper end of the bearings 31. These stop shoulders prevent the knives from low- 'ering too far: incase the nut is not of such size as to stop the knives at the proper lower limit of movement; This construction, it will thus be seen,.compensates for variations in the sizes of the. nuts.

Figures 9 and 1O illustrate how in the continued rotation of the crank pins, after the knife blades have reached their lower limit of motion, the. brackets 27 carrying the knives are spread by the links: 36 to open out and break apart the two halves of the, husk. In this connection see particularly Figure 1.3-. l'e s r .l; th ranks hat s ims toward each other past their lower centers,

thismotion bringing the blades together in the original bacloto-back relation and the continued rotation serving then to elevate the blades 'in this 'condition, ready for the next operation.

As the bladesare closed and lifted, as indicated in Figures 19 and'20, the feed slide is retracted so as to withdraw the nut, which 7 The penetration ofthe' husk at the top and the bottom in the manner illustrated provides lines of weakness which enable the knives to readily break apart the two halves ,of the husk.

An especially important feature of the impaling pin is that it locates or positions the soft stem end of the husk so that when the nut is advanced, the soft stem is directly beneath the center line of the knives and in the plane of their operation. This device thus in effect centers the nuts with/their lines of weakness in the operating plane of the knives. The downward stroke of this positioning device may be cushioned for instance by yieldingly mounting the lower set of supporting pins 43 on a spring or springs such as indicated at 70 in Figure 3.

The upward stroke of the knives may be eased somewhat, if found desirable, by providing an auxiliary cam, for instance, for relieving the knives of the weights 32 during the upward or return movement.

'lVhat we claim is:

1. In a machine of the character de scribed, cooperating relatively separable knives and means; for driving said knives in closely adjacent relation. into an object and for then separating the knives at their outer ends to split apart portions of the object.

2. In a machine of the character de' scribed, penetrating members and means for driving said members in closely adjacent relation into an object and for then sepa rating the members at their outer ends to split apart portions of the object.

3. In a machine of the character described. penetrating members, stops, means for driving said members in closely adja cent relation into an object and for then engaging the stops thereby separating the membersv at their outer-ends, said means including oppositely rotating crank arms dis'- posed at opposite sides of a center line be tweenthe members and. linkconnections EIOIIL said crank. arms; totherespective mem QTSQ 4:. In a machine of the character described, penetrating members, -means for driving said members 1n closely ad acent relation into an object and for then separating the members, said'means including oppositely rotating crank arms disposed at opposite sides of a center line between the members. link connectionstrom said crank arms to the respective members, a head to which the, members are pivotally connected and a weight operating on said head.

5. In a machine of the character described, penetrating members. means for driving said members inclos'ely adjacent re lation into an object and for then separating the members, said means including oppositely rotating crankar-ms disposed at opposite sides of a center line between the memhere link connections from said crank arms to the respective members. a. head to which the members are pivotally connected and means for applying force to said head 6. In a machine of 'the character described. a vertically operating guide, a pair of'arms pivotally connected to the upper end of said guide, a penetrating member carried by each of said arms and spreading means operatively connected with the pivot ally supported arms. I

7. In a machine of ythe character described, a vertically operating guide, husk splitting knives pivoted at'their lower ends on said guide. cranks arranged at opposite sides of the plane of saidguide, pivotal; link connections vfrom said cranks to the upper ends of the knives and a tensioning means applied to said guide. II

8. In a machine of the, character described, a vertically operatingguide, husk splitting ,knivespivoted: at their lower ends on said guide, cranks arranged at opposite sides, ot the plane of said guide, pivotal link connections from said cranks to the upper ends of the knives and Weight applied to said guide. l I

9. In a machine of the character described. a vertically operating guide, husk splitting knives pivoted at their lower ends on said guide. cranks arranged. at opposite sides of the plane of said guide, pivotal linkconnections' troin said cranks to the upper ends of the knives and means tor applying a ariab e tension to said guid 10. In a machine of the." character ded. vertically,operating guide, husk splitting knives pivoted at their, lower ends to the upper end of said guide. cranks ranged. at opposite sides of the plane of said guide, pivotal link connections from said cranks to the upper ends'of the knives, the downward stroke of said guide being. normally limited. by the resistanceto penetration of a'coco'nut husk by the knives and, cooperating stops tonde te'rmining theme;- imum lowering'niotion'of the'k'nives.

erate' on an object the said impaling 11.. In a machine of the character described, a horizontally reciprocating car- 'riage, vertically reciprocating knives. means 'torholdingan object on said carriage in position to be operated on by the knives and I meansfor forcing said knives into an ob-" 'ject positioned'on thecarriage andtor then relatively spreading the knives apart.

12. In a machine of the character de- 1 8. In a" machine of the character. de-, scribed, a reciprocating ,teed carriage pro vidcd with supporting spikes and penetrating and spreading. knives arranged to operateon an object impaled on said spikes,

the said impaling means being positioned scribed, a. reciprocating'teed carriage pro- 18 "-vided with supporting spikes, means for im-" tov for'm' a line of Weakness in the object at substantially the point Where the object is engaged by the knives.

14. In a machine of the character described, a reciprocating feed carriage provi'ded vvith supportingspikes and penetrating and spreading knives arranged to opimpaled on saidspikes, and. positioning means being arr'anged to torm lines of Weakness in the object to assist in the breaking of the objectby'the spreading knives 15. In amachine of the character described,a reciprocating feed carriage provided with supporting spikes, penetratmg nd spreading knives arranged to operate'on an.ob ect'1mpaled on SQJCI spikes, the said impahng means comprising a reciprocating cross head and means for operating the same to drive an object down over the: supportingfspikes While the carriage is ina retracted position. I

' 116LIIn' a machine" of the character described, reversely rotating .shafts, cranks carried thereby, a pair of splitting knives standing normally in back-to-back' relation, link connections from 'saictcranks to said splitting knives, a reciprocating feed carriagepmeans on. one of the shafts for operating said carriage. asupporting element onthe carriage and means operated by one o'f'the shafts for'engaging an object withfthe supporting element. 1

17. In a machine of the character described, I carried thereby, a pair of splitting knives standing normally inback-to-back relation, link connections from said cranks to said splitting knives, .a reciprocating. feed carriage. means on. one ot' the shafts for operating'said carriage, a supporting element on the carriage, and means operated by the. other of said shafts for engaging an object with thesupporting element. I

18. In a machine of the character der'eversely rotating shafts, cranks scribed, reversely shafts, flit mks carriage for carrying theobjects to said splitting mechamsm, supporting splkes on said, carriage and. a reciprocatory means for impaling an object onssaid spikes While the carriage is in aretracted position;

20. In a machine of the character described, husk splittingmechanism, a feed carriage for carryingthe objects .to.,said splittingv mechanism, supporting. spikes on said carriage and meansior: impalingan object onv said spikes while the. earriage ;is in a retracted position, saidmeans including. a. vertically reciprocating cross head positioned to oneside of the operating plane of the splitting mechanism,

21. In a machine of the, ,character'described, husk splittingmechanism, a feed carriage for carrying. the objects .to said splitting mechanism, supporting spikes on said carriage, means for impaling anobject on said spikes while the carriage isv in a retracted position,'said means includingta vertically reciprocating cross head positioned to one side. of the operating plane of the splitting mechanism and a spike carried by said cross headto penetrate the object at a point substantially opposite the supporting spikes.v v

22. In. a machine of the .charactergdescribed, husksplitting mechanism including cooperating jaws-adapted to penetrate the sides of anobject and. gripper, mechanism for holding the object in position. to be operated on by said splitting mechanism.

23. In a machine of the characterdescribed, husk splitting mechanism, gripper mechanism for holding an object in position to be operated on by .said splitting mechanism, said gripper mechanism including cooperating jaws adapted -to pe netra-te the husk and means for automaticallyioreing .said jaws through the husk substantia1ly,:.into engagement with the shell of a coconut.

.24. In .a machine .of thecharaeter described, husk. splitting mechanism a..,feecl carriage provided with a coconut supportmates -anisrn, and arranged toupass about the supporting base on theifeed carriage into engagement with opposite sides of a coconut thereon.

;. .-25. -.In-,a.- machine;- of the'character described, husk splitting mechanism, cooperating, pivoted jaws a feedcarriage provided with a nut supporting bar, means for shifting the carriage into, position with said-bar overstand-ing the-. pivotal support of the gripper-jaws andmeansfor. swinging said aws about the opposite sides otsaidbarinto engagement Witha nut supported thereon.

. v 26.-In; a machine of the character described,. oppositely rotating shafts, cranks on saidshafts, a reciprocating guide'between said shafts, knives pivotally 'supported on saidaguide, .pivotallinks extending from the cranks ,to @s'aidknives, a reciprocating feed carria-gebeneathathe knives, cam mechanism on one,;of. the shafts for actuating said feed carriage, gripper. devices supported beneath the carriage in substantially :theoperating plane of the knives and' cam' devices on the shaftsfor. operating said grip-per devices. 27. In a machine of thecharacterdescribed, oppositely rotatingwshafts, cranks on said shafts, a reciprocatingguide between said shafts, knivespivotally supported on said guide, pivotal links extending from the cranks to saidqknives, a reciprocatingfeed carriage beneath the knives, cam mechanism on one of the, shafts for actuating said feed carriage, gripper devices supported beneath the carriage ,in. substantially the 1 operating plane of the .knives, cam devices 'on the shafts for .operatingsaid gripper devices, nut supporting spikes. on thefe'edcarriage, a .vertioally reciprocating member for impaling the .nuts on saidspikes. and, cam mechanism on one of the shafts for operating said impalin device. 1

...28.,,In a -mac ine oiithe. character {described, vertically reciprocating knives, a feed carriage beneath said knives, gripper devicesbeneathsaid feed carriage in substantiallytheoperating plane of the knives and meansforuvertically reciprocating and relatively separating the knives.

29. In a machinect the character described, vertically reciprocating; knives, a feed carriage beneath said knives, gripper devices beneath said feed carriage insubstantially the;,operating; plane of the knives, means fprivertically,reciprocatingand relatively separating. the knives, said ,means in: eluding; .a; vertically.reciprocating guide to whicl i .the; knives are connected and crank members connected ,with they knives; 30. 111. a nachine. otthe character -de crib P9e y.-.;1:o tins a stica1ly reciprpcating guide between said cranks, knives pivoted to thenpper end of said guide and pivotal links extending from the cranks to the upper ends of'said knives 31. In a machine of the character described, oppositely frotating cranks, a vertically reciprocating guide between said cranks, knives pivoted to the upper end of said guide and pivoted links extending from the cranks to the upper ends of said knives, said guide having a weighted member depending therefrom.

32. In .a machine of the character described, oppositely rotating cranks, a vertically reciprocating guide between said cranks, knives pivoted to the upper end of said guide and pivotal links extending from the cranks to the upper end of said knives, said knives normally abutting in back-toback engagement.

33. In a machine of the character described, husk splitting knives standing normally in back-to-back engagement and means for forcing the knives in such relation into the husk of a coconut andfor then relatively separating the same to split apart the husk of the nut, and gripper devices for temporarily holding the nut while being operated on by the knives.

34. In a machine of the character described, husk sp-littin knives standing normally in back-to-bac engagement, automatically compensating means for forcing said knives in such relation into penetrating engagement with the husks of coconuts of different size and means for automatically spreading the knives at their outer ends after said husk penetrating operation, and

gripper devices for temporarily holding the nut while being operating on by the knives.

35. In a machine of the character described, husk splitting knives standing normally in back-to-back engagement, automatically compensating means for forcing said knives in such relation into penetrating engagement with the husks of coconuts of diiferent size, means for automatically spreading the knives at their outer ends after said husk penetrating operation and means for positively limiting the husk penetrating motion of the knives, and gripper devices for temporarily holding the nut while being operated on by the knives.

36. In a machine of the character described, husk splitting knives standing normally in back-to-back engagement, automatically compensating means for forcing said knives in such relation into penetrating engagment with the husks of coconuts of different size, means for automatically spreading the knives after said husk penetrating operation and means for automatically feeding nuts into position to be acted on by said knives.

37. In a machine of the character described, husk splitting knives standing normally in back-to -back engagement, auto v engagement with, the husks of coconuts of different size, means for automatically spreading'jthe knives at their outer ends after said husk penetrating operation,

means for automatically feeding nuts into position to be acted on by said knives and means for temporarily holding the nuts While being operated on by the knives.

38. In a machine of the character described, husk splitting knives standing normallly in back-to-back engagement, automatically compensatin means for forcing said knives in such re ation into penetrating engagement withthe husks of coconuts of different size, means for automatically spreading the knives after said husk penetrating operation, means for automatically feeding nuts into position to be acted on by said knives and devices for positioning the nuts on said feeding means.

39. In a machine of the character described, husk splitting knives standing nor-- mally in back-to-back engagement, automatically compensating means for forcing said knives in such relation into penetrating engagement with thehusks of coconuts of different size, means for automatically spreading the knives after said husk penetrating operation, means for automatically feeding nuts into position to be acted on by said knives, devices for positioning the nuts on said feeding means and means for temporarily supporting the thus positioned nuts while being operated on by the knives.

40. In a machine of the character described, vertically reciprocating guides, cooperating knives pivoted in back-toback relation on the upper ends of said guides, means for'vertically reciprocating and relatively separating said knives, including two pairs of reversely rotating cranks and connections from the cranks to the knives.

41. In a machine of the character described, penetrating members, means for driving said members in closely adjacent relation into an object and for then separating the members, said means including oppositely rotating crank arms disposed at- 43. In a machine of the character dea power device for driving a coconut husk scribed, a con'veyer yielding husk support on tosziid'spikes." ing spikes carried by said conveyerand In testimony-whereof We afiiix our signahusk splitting means for operating one tures.

5 nut supported on said spikes.

44. In a mach'ne of the character de- DWIGHT TENNEY.

scribed, yieldingly supported spikes a nd' I WILLIAM D; WALSH. 

